Story
Those who know me are aware that mountains and running are huge passions of mine, second only to my family and work. This challenge is possibly one of my craziest yet, with over 35% of participants not even finishing this particular race. I have been training for this race for over 9 months, running multiple marathons, ultra marathons and many (hilly) miles. As well as the hours of training and gym sessions each week, there is also something else that will motivate me to get this done.
A dear colleague of ours, Mike Terry, recently passed away after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Mike worked for Utilize for over 17 years and was the ultimate professional, quietly going about his business, always performing and loved by everyone who worked with him. Despite his illness, he remained totally dedicated to his work, not wanting to let his colleagues down.
Mike will always be in our memories and for me, it serves as a reminder that life is unpredictable and that there is always someone facing challenges tougher than our own. We should push ourselves to do difficult things and live without regrets.
On 17th May, I will be taking on the Ultra Trail Snowdonia (UTS) 100km race, which is actually 103km with over 6500m of elevation and a 36-hour cut-off. This challenging race covers the highlights of the mountainous areas of northern Eryri/Snowdonia, including eight mountains, countless stunning trails, technical ridges, and epic views over its distance.
Friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances - please give generously. All proceeds will go to Leukaemia Care, a charity dedicated to researching Mike's type of cancer (Acute Myeloid Leukaemia). Your support is greatly appreciated.